Eagle Award

Creating a pathway that makes it easier for Rosemont Middle School students to traverse through the school's garden was the goal of Boy Scout and Crescenta Valley High School senior Eric Hwang last Saturday. As part of his Boy Scout Eagle project, Hwang designed and constructed a brick walkway where once there was only dirt. The Eagle Award is the Boy Scout's highest achievement. According to the Boy Scouts of America National Council only five percent of all scouts achieve the Eagle ranking.

Longtime Scout volunteer Dede Mueller loves the kids she works with, and that is why she remains involved with the Boy Scouts program. Mueller is the district commissioner for the Verdugo Hills Council, and she has helped the Boy Scouts at numerous positions throughout her adulthood. A Girl Scout when she was younger, Mueller became active again with the Scouts when her son, Eric, wanted to be a Tiger Cub in first grade. The troop was in need of a leader, so she volunteered.

Robert Chacon Spurred by an interest in history and a desire to earn the Girl Scouts of the United States of America's highest award, a local teen has written a children's version of the history of the Crescenta Valley. La Crescenta resident Christine Schaefer earned the Girl Scouts Gold Award by writing a 22-page book, called "The History of the Crescenta Valley: The Kid's Version." The book begins with a description of the local Native Americans who named the valley where they lived Tujunga, and ends with the completion of the Foothill (210)

Each year I give readers a case of the Willys, salutes to those who made news in the past year and perhaps didn't receive all the recognition they deserved. I hope you've booked a sitter and confirmed the limo, because it's time for the 12th edition of the Willy Awards. Willy Make a Flag for Mandokyland? Award -- Joe Mandoky announced he and his cohorts had enough petition signatures to force Mayor Gus Gomez into a recall election. Days later, the same band announced they had dropped the effort and wouldn't turn in any signatures, this as Mandoky continued to claim "victory."

A local Boy Scout troop on Sunday celebrated the first time scouts from that troop have achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. An Eagle Court of Honor event was hosted for Boy Scouts Armen Ter-Zakarian and Matthew Diradoorian. Diradoorian and Ter-Zakarian belong to Troop Ari 4 of the Homenetmen Glendale Ararat chapter, Troop 154 of the Verdugo Hills Council. Homenetmen is an Armenian union of scouting and sporting activities for young people. Ter-Zakarian, 18, is on the St. Francis High School tennis team and has played piano for 12 years.

Crescenta Valley High School senior James Fletcher received the honor of being named an Eagle Scout Dec. 22. The Eagle Court of Honor ceremony was at the First Baptist Church in La Crescenta, where a standing room only crowd met to offer support and congratulations to Fletcher. The rank of Eagle Scout is the highest in the Boy Scout organization. Boys must complete all requirements before reaching the age of 18 to qualify. The recognition is particularly poignant for Fletcher, who suffered a head injury in 2003 while playing Falcon football.

Crescenta Valley High School sophomore Michael C. Boukidis of La Crescenta was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest honor in the Boy Scouts of America. A member of Troop 118 in Glendale, Michael is the son of Constantine and Eugenia Boukidis of La Crescenta. His younger brother, Evan, is a Webelos I Scout in Cub Scout Pack 131 in Glendale. A Scout since the first grade, 15-year-old Michael received his Arrow of Light Award, the Cub Scouts' highest achievement, from Pack 131 before bridging to Boy Scouts.

SCOUT FROM TROOP 303 RECEIVES EAGLE AWARD Kevin Hildebrand , of La Crescenta, the son of Gary and Lisa Hildebrand , has earned the rank of Eagle Scout. Kevin is a member of Troop 303, which is sponsored by St. Luke's of the Mountains Anglican Church in La Crescenta. His Eagle project consisted of refurbishing the library at St. James the Less Catholic School, his former elementary school. Kevin, along with 15 troop volunteers, repainted the library, sanded and refinished countertops, built bookcases and inventoried books.

A record number of Senior Girl Scouts from Mt. Wilson Vista Council, were awarded the highest honor in Girl Scouting, the Gold Award, at a ceremony on June 26 at St. Luke's Catholic Church in Temple City. Earning the Gold Award is the equivalent to the Boy Scout's Eagle Scout Award and is a two-year process in which a girl plans and implements a challenging, large-scale project that is innovative and of lasting value to her community and involves collaboration or interaction with other youth and adults.

Buck Wargo GLENDALE -- Glendale's Filipino community is trying to reach out a little more this year to the city's other residents. The Filipino-American Business Assn. of Glendale has expanded its Independence Day festivities beyond its traditional celebration of June 12. Instead of putting on a cultural event at the Central Library on one day, the group will hold several programs and is encouraging residents throughout the community to attend.

A local Boy Scout troop on Sunday celebrated the first time scouts from that troop have achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. An Eagle Court of Honor event was hosted for Boy Scouts Armen Ter-Zakarian and Matthew Diradoorian. Diradoorian and Ter-Zakarian belong to Troop Ari 4 of the Homenetmen Glendale Ararat chapter, Troop 154 of the Verdugo Hills Council. Homenetmen is an Armenian union of scouting and sporting activities for young people. Ter-Zakarian, 18, is on the St. Francis High School tennis team and has played piano for 12 years.

Longtime Scout volunteer Dede Mueller loves the kids she works with, and that is why she remains involved with the Boy Scouts program. Mueller is the district commissioner for the Verdugo Hills Council, and she has helped the Boy Scouts at numerous positions throughout her adulthood. A Girl Scout when she was younger, Mueller became active again with the Scouts when her son, Eric, wanted to be a Tiger Cub in first grade. The troop was in need of a leader, so she volunteered.

Creating a pathway that makes it easier for Rosemont Middle School students to traverse through the school's garden was the goal of Boy Scout and Crescenta Valley High School senior Eric Hwang last Saturday. As part of his Boy Scout Eagle project, Hwang designed and constructed a brick walkway where once there was only dirt. The Eagle Award is the Boy Scout's highest achievement. According to the Boy Scouts of America National Council only five percent of all scouts achieve the Eagle ranking.

Crescenta Valley High School sophomore Michael C. Boukidis of La Crescenta was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest honor in the Boy Scouts of America. A member of Troop 118 in Glendale, Michael is the son of Constantine and Eugenia Boukidis of La Crescenta. His younger brother, Evan, is a Webelos I Scout in Cub Scout Pack 131 in Glendale. A Scout since the first grade, 15-year-old Michael received his Arrow of Light Award, the Cub Scouts' highest achievement, from Pack 131 before bridging to Boy Scouts.

Crescenta Valley High School senior James Fletcher received the honor of being named an Eagle Scout Dec. 22. The Eagle Court of Honor ceremony was at the First Baptist Church in La Crescenta, where a standing room only crowd met to offer support and congratulations to Fletcher. The rank of Eagle Scout is the highest in the Boy Scout organization. Boys must complete all requirements before reaching the age of 18 to qualify. The recognition is particularly poignant for Fletcher, who suffered a head injury in 2003 while playing Falcon football.

Robert Chacon Spurred by an interest in history and a desire to earn the Girl Scouts of the United States of America's highest award, a local teen has written a children's version of the history of the Crescenta Valley. La Crescenta resident Christine Schaefer earned the Girl Scouts Gold Award by writing a 22-page book, called "The History of the Crescenta Valley: The Kid's Version." The book begins with a description of the local Native Americans who named the valley where they lived Tujunga, and ends with the completion of the Foothill (210)

Each year I give readers a case of the Willys, salutes to those who made news in the past year and perhaps didn't receive all the recognition they deserved. I hope you've booked a sitter and confirmed the limo, because it's time for the 12th edition of the Willy Awards. Willy Make a Flag for Mandokyland? Award -- Joe Mandoky announced he and his cohorts had enough petition signatures to force Mayor Gus Gomez into a recall election. Days later, the same band announced they had dropped the effort and wouldn't turn in any signatures, this as Mandoky continued to claim "victory."